In an effort to encourage more minorities in general and in particular Black people living in Kansas City to get a COVID-19 virus vaccination, African American experts from the medical community recently hosted a video conference sponsored by the Black Health Care Coalition (BHCC) to tackle the issue, “Is the Science Safe?,” a question highlighting advantages and risks to combat a deadly disease.
Dr. Virginia Caine of Indiana University School of Medicine offered insight from her experience and contacts with other medical experts affiliated with the National Institute of Health (NIH) to share “little known” specifics about the two approved vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna currently being distributed. She serves Indiana as associate professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases.
But before she spoke, Dr. Jasper Fuller and Dr. Nevada Lee, both local internal medical specialists, set the stage outlining the history leading to the distrust by minorities of medical science and dispelling myths, often cited on social
media platforms, by those expressing doubt and reluctance to vaccinations.
Dr. Lee used what she called “a terrible analogy” in comparing what she considered a stark reality to address the futility of only a few people getting vaccinated. “It’s like living in an apartment building with a pest problem. You can
treat your apartment all day long, but it’s not until the rest of your community joins in to eradicate that pest, whatever it is, before you will be successful.”
She said the pest problem is similar in controlling the COVID-19 virus for the short term or for the long term” because “we’re dealing with a communicable disease” and that the community as a whole will not be successful in defeating the virus unless and until the majority in the community in unison take like measures to eradicate the problem.
Dr. Fullard, a board member of the BHCC, acknowledged the historical lack of trust blacks have with medical science which he traced to the Tuskegee Experiment on Syphilis where black men were intentionally infected.
He worked as an orderly at the Tuskegee Institute, where the experiments took place.
The Tuskegee Experiment was a US Public Health Service study of 600 Black men, originally scheduled for six months, but lasting more than 40 years from 1932 to 1972. Its focus was to record the development of syphilis, from its onset through well advanced stages. It was originally treated with mercury and arsenic, which cured 30 percent of the patients but also killed many as well.
When penicillin treatment became available in 1945 and was found to be a cure, still it was withheld from study participants for 30 years. This and other unethical experiments involving Black men continued to be conducted by acclaimed academic institutions well into the 1990s, but Dr. Fullard said subsequent medical research reforms have worked and that unethical practices are now unlikely.
Dr. Lee highlighted real statistics along with the medical myths and facts to which they contrast to frame the current
environment and attitude affecting the decision of African Americans to consider or not consider vaccines that medical experts and a new Presidential Administration are convinced can reverse the viral rise and return vastly altered lifestyles to some degree or normalcy.
“Across the nation, African Americans make up 13 percent of the population, but more than 20 percent of theCOVID-19 virus deaths,” she said, “ whereas, whites, make up 60 percent of the population; but less than 51 deaths.
Remedying this becomes increasingly urgent with at least two new variant COVID-19 virus strains recently introduced, each one possibly 70 percent more contagious.
“This disease tends to kill us for many reasons, and we know it’s mostly for pre-existing conditions like obesity, heart disease and diabetes,” Dr. Lee continued. “We have less access to medical care and greater exposure to the disease from our jobs, factories, health care facilities, schools, service industries, grocery stores and other places where we have to be around other people.
Dr. Lee said this also is further complicated due to Black people having lower income, less health insurance and less access to healthy foods and vitamin supplements “and then, we still have discrimination and bias in treatment by health care workers.”
Why We Should take it Seriously Dr. Lee said African Americans should take serious the consideration to get vaccinated “because the virus is killing us. Surveys at the end of summer 2020 showed that less than 42 percent of African Americans indicated they would get the vaccine. That leaves 58 percent unprotected.
This compares to percentages of 61 for white, 63 for Hispanics, 83 for Asians (who said they would take the vaccine).”
She said that fortunately as of December the numbers have increased to 62 percent of blacks saying they would get vaccine, while experts predict that at least 70 percent of the entire American population should be vaccinated to ensure a return to normalcy. “But still at 62 percent in our community still leaves 38 percent unprotected,” she said.
“The reason some give for not wanting the vaccine are because of the possible side effects,” she said. “Most say they’re hesitant (59 percent) fail to realize every medication has side effects. Aspirin, insulin, ulcer medications all have potential side effects. But you have to weigh the risks against the benefits. In this case, the life saving benefits far outweighs the risks.”
She said of other reasons, some say the vaccines were developed too quickly to be safe, but the science behind these vaccines has been in research for over 20 years. And, Dr. Lee said, since 2014 under the emergency preparedness program, there has been even more research. Blacks physicians and scientists have led teams at NIH, and have helped lead in developing this vaccine.
“We’re believing what we see on social media,” she said. “That African Americans have in the past been used as ‘Guinea pigs’ is for some a cause for a real distrust, but for many others it’s just an excuse and we’re following the leader and believing what we see on social media.”
Five great reasons: Dr. Lee offered “five great reasons” why African Americans should be confident and willing to get vaccinated:
1. Both the Pfizer and Moderna produced vaccinations are 94 to 95 percent effective, and this statistic includes black people who were part of the study. Taking the vaccine saves lives.
2. The vaccines tested in clinical trials included blacks (10 percent), Latino (20 percent); causasians (70 percent) and with no extra complications found to exist in black participants.
3. African Americans will benefit as individuals from taking the vaccine, but Black people across the country as a whole will also not be able to curb this disease to the point of achieving “community immunity” (what the majority population is calling “herd immunity”). “But I don’t like this term,” she said. “I prefer “community immunity.”
4. “This is not an individual disease,” she said.
“We’re accustomed to dealing with diabetes, high blood pressure, glaucoma and if you have it, it’s your disease. But here, if you take your medicine you’ll get better, if you don’t, then that problem is on you. In the case of an infectious disease like this one, that is rampant, your disease is my disease. If you don’t do something, then it’s going to affect me and it’s going to affect everybody around both of us.”
Right now, she said, COVID-19 is two to three times worse in the black community, and that figure was calculated before the vaccines were available. If black people don’t participate in the vaccination process, by the end of the year, the problem will be about six times worse in the black community than it is in other communities.
5. Finally, she said, “getting the vaccine, by itself, won’t solve all of our problems. We still have to be committed and united in reducing risks by wearing masks, social distancing, by not getting together - even under the name of God in large crowds - until this is nightmare is over.
“Once again, this is a community disease and it’s going to impact our community through deaths,” she said. “But also, many of us won’t be able to get back to work until this is over. Our kids won’t be able to get back to school until this is over. Take this seriously, learn as much as you can about the science, and when you’re around that person who’s last in line, who’s hiding from getting the vaccine, share some of that information so they can make educated decisions.”
From this foundation, Dr. Lee laid a framework to usher in expert Dr. Virginia Caine’s more precisely detailed narrative of what persons receiving the vaccinate could expect. She was introduced by Dr. Michael Weaver, of St. Luke hospital, described as “recruiter in chief” by forum moderator and BHCC president Melissa Robinson, who also is a Kansas City Councilwoman representing the third district.
Slide presentation: Dr. Caine offered a slide presentation, where she narrated factual information related to history, research and development which led to the production of the two vaccines. She also clarified similarities and differences between the two vaccines, advising specifics by which informed considerations can be reached to determine a preference, one or the other.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, lead scientist at NIH, was identified in one of the slides. Dr. Caine said she began as an intern and spent 8 to 10 years working on the platform used to develop the two new vaccines. Dr. Caine referred to components called a “messenger RNA vaccine platform” never used before. She said for the past 20 years Dr.Corbett worked on developing a fast process to make vaccines. Working under Dr. Anthony Fauci, she was the top scientist working with Moderna.
How Vaccine works: Messenger RNA from the “brain” of the molecule was described in another slide. One of its three proteins, called a “spike protein” allows the virus to attach to the cell and replicate. An injected vaccine contains the messenger RNA that begins the process of creating spike proteins in the body. Your immune system, not recognizing these, attacks them producing antibody. When the actual corona virus presents itself, the immune system uses these antibodies to attack the COVID-19 spike proteins, eliminating the means for the virus to enter cells.
There is no live virus used in the vaccine, only a copy of its protein, which cannot cause COVID, Dr. Caine explained.
The side effects can be the same, causing achiness, fever and fatigue but without the actual damaging traits which cause respiratory, cardiac and neurological issues which can result in death.
Dr. Caine said DNA is encoded in the nucleus of your cell, but mRNA only enters the cytoplasma of the cell and cannot alter any of your DNA. She described sthe cytoplasma,likening it to “the messenger spike being able to enter the egg whites but not having the ability to enter the yolk.” Other slides offered details on each vaccine, produced by Pfizer and Moderna, and similarities and differences of each, as follows: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine: Minimum age of recipient, 18, two doses separated by 28 days.
Side effects: soreness at site of injection; 68 percent of study group complained of fatigue; 63 percent, headache; 59 percent, aches and pain; 43 percent, chills; 15 percent, fevers; Bell’s Palsy (facial paralysis) in three patients and can last from a few months to over a year; few cases in cosmetic facial fillers (localized swelling).
This study involved 30,000 persons enrolled in 89 clinical sites across 32 states. The racial/ethnic distribution consisted of 10 percent African Americans, 20 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Asian, 3 percent Native American/other; and 63 percent Caucasian. Sixty-four percent were aged 45 and older (39 percent, 45 to 64 and 25 percent, 65 and older); and 36 percent were under age 45.
Pfizer - BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, (which required ultra cold storage: Minimum age of recipient, 16; two doses separated by 21 days. Side effects: soreness at site of injection; 59.4 percent of study group complained of fatigue, 51.7 percent, headache; 37.3 percent, aches and pain; 21.9 percent, joint pain; 35.1 percent, chills; 15.8 percent,
fevers; Bell’s Palsy (facial paralysis) in four patients and can last from a few months to over a year; Anaphylactic reactions (allergies that may affect patients similar to nuts, bees) occurred in 8 patients.
This study involved 43,931 persons enrolled in 150 clinical sites across 39 states. The racial/ethnic distribution consisted of 10 percent African Americans; 13 percent Hispanic; 6 percent Asian; 1 percent Native American; and 70
percent Caucasian. Forty-five percent were aged 56 to 85; the remaining 55 percent, younger.
If You Don’t Get Vaccinated: The unvaccinated in America who would happen to contract COVID-19 is estimated to include 40 percent who will experience no adverse symptoms. But for those who do could experience possible long-term effects of chronic fatigue syndrome, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, chest pain, strokes, seizures and Guillain-Barr syndrome (temporary paralysis); and lasting damage to the heart with increase risk of heart failure.
Other symptoms could include muscle pain or headache, fast or pounding heartbeat, loss of smell or taste, “brain fog” memory, concentration or sleep problems, rash or hair loss, post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression and anxiety.
Dr. Caine in her presentation discussed two other vaccines not yet approved but which are expected to soon be released, one by Johnson and Johnson by February; and another, by Astrazeneca which is expected by April. She cautioned the effectiveness of these are yet to be determined, suggesting it may or may not match the 95 percent effectives of Pfizer or Moderna, and could be as low as 70 percent.
About Dr. Caine: Dr. Michael Weaver in his introduction offered this bio on Dr. Caine: Associate professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases, Indiana U School of Medicine, past president, American Public Health Association, Chairwoman of National Medical Association’s Infectious Disease and COVID -19 Task Force, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Editorial Board, and National Bio Defense Science Board provides guidance to the Sect’y, US Department of Health and Human Services. Also served as director and chief medical officer, Marion County Public Health Department; Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Indiana University School of Medicine; and member, National Links Incorporated, COVID-19 Task Force; and also, on the Indiana Vaccine and Allocation committee, been long term Health Care dept director, been through H1N1 and Ebola
Other video forum participants included Nikki Lee Donnellwell, “community Relations guru,” executive, Truman Medical Center; Frank Thompson, Dr. Rex Archer, KCMO Health Department; Dr. Karla Houston Gray, chairman, BHCC, primary care physician; and Dr. Leslie Fields, vice chair, BHCC and president, National Medical Association, and hospital list, ACA, Research Hospital.
To find out how you can view the video forum, or for more information, contact the Black Health Care Coalition of Kansas City at: 816-444-9600; or visit the website at: bhcckc.org.
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BHCC Tackles Issue, ‘Is the Science Safe?’
